Our Traditional Smoking Process

At Black Mountains Smokery we use modern machinery but with old fashioned methods.Jonathan Carthew, Black Mountains Smokery

We source sustainable fresh foods with great care as locally as possible from quality UK suppliers only. Every product is cured prior to smoking using dry salt or a special brine or marinade solution to reduce available water content thereby aiding preservation and enhancing flavour.

Modern custom-made kilns are used to either hot or cold smoke the various produce. Smouldering oak chips provide the smoke. Cold smoking involves a remote smoke source. The cold smoke is drawn through the kiln over the food by an internal fan, evenly distributing the smoke. Hot smoking involves a proximate smoke source and high temperatures so that the foods are roasted in the hot oak smoke.

The skill of the smoker is crucial. The fine texture and taste of the end product depends on the timings and temperatures, which in turn can depend even on the weather!

The smoking and curing of foods is a traditional craft. The quality of the smoked product depends upon care taken at each stage of the process from sourcing and selection of materials through preparation and smoking to delivery.